Elon Musk has testified in a major legal case against OpenAI, accusing the company and its CEO, Sam Altman, of moving away from the nonprofit mission it was originally built on.
The case, taking place in a federal court in Oakland, focuses on Musk’s claim that OpenAI was created to develop safe artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity, but later turned into a profit-focused company competing with large tech firms.
During his testimony, Musk said he supported OpenAI in its early days because he believed it would remain a nonprofit organisation that valued transparency and AI safety above profits. He also warned that if the court rules in OpenAI’s favour, it could damage trust in charitable organisations across the United States.
Musk explained that his early interest in OpenAI came from concerns that Google was rapidly advancing AI without giving enough attention to safety. He also said he helped OpenAI grow in its early years by recruiting talent and creating important partnerships.
OpenAI has defended itself by saying the move to a capped-profit model and outside funding was necessary because advanced AI research is extremely expensive. The company says its nonprofit board still keeps overall control of operations.
The legal fight highlights the growing divide between Musk and the organisation he helped co-found in 2015. Musk left OpenAI in 2018. After that, the company launched a commercial arm and secured major investment from Microsoft.
Since then, OpenAI has become one of the biggest names in artificial intelligence thanks to the success of ChatGPT.
Musk later launched his own AI company, xAI, and has continued legal efforts seeking structural changes at OpenAI. He has said any financial payout from the case would not be for personal benefit.
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The court is expected to give its decision in the coming weeks. The ruling could have a major impact on how AI companies are governed and funded in the future.
